You are fat. Chunky, round, stout, heavy, hefty, stocky, beefy, corpulent, chubby, blubbery: fat. You see it in the mirror, in the size of your pants, on that awful scale. Maybe it snuck up on you one burger or French fry at a time. Perhaps you have been big all your life. No matter what, you have decided that today is the day. Your road to weight loss starts right now.

But how? There are of course the common answers. Good diet and proper exercise. Of course, you reply. I knew that already, and I knew you'd tell to do it. But really, how do I do it? Where do I begin? What diet, which exercise? What happens if it doesn't work? Well, you are going to be fat, just the way you are now.

The hardest part of losing the weight will not come to you in the gym. Sweating will not be your demise. Your downfall will come slowly. You will be excited at first, but then the doubt will set in. Or the worry, or the time constraints. What can you do to circumvent all of these things? What is the miracle answer behind finally dropping the weight that has been holding you down too long? The answer is so simple. The road to thin just got a little less treacherous.

The single most important factor to ensuring a successful weight loss is this: determine your why. Why do you want to lose the weight? Of course you want to be healthy or look attractive, but what truly guides your desire. Think deeply: envision yourself thin. What are you doing, where are you going, what are you wearing? This is your answer. Write it down. Flesh it out until it is exactly, precisely the moment you are working toward.

If you want to be healthy, feel attractive, and keep up with your kids, your why might be "to play tag wearing short shorts in the park." Make it as real as it is going to be. Put it down on paper. Give yourself ten good whys. Now you have them and they are cement. Use these as little reminders to self that will keep you motivated to keep going on. Is it a vacation you are after?

An image of the small seat on European public transportation will remind you to stay on that treadmill. A Macy's clothing catalog in the take out menu drawer will magically remind you how to make a salad. Your weight loss journey and the motivation it takes to be successful are very personal, but your 'whys' shouldn't be. Share your 'whys' with the people closest to you. Telling other about your goals will give you just one more incentive to do well.

Regardless of what it is, your answer lies within you. Your reason why will ultimately be the driving force behind all that you do in your life. In this particular instance, having your why will be the force that forces you to act (or not act) in order to achieve your goal. Your why will get you up out of bed or off the couch. It will lace your trainers. Your why will make that salad look great and the sore muscles feel victorious. Armed with your own personal secret weapon, your success is all but guaranteed.